The Whiskyphiles

Longmorn

longmorn-distillery

History The Longmorn Distillery Company was founded in 1893 by John Duff, Charles Shirres and George Thomson. Duff was a former manager of the Glendronach Distillery and the Bon Accord Distillery in Aberdeen, and was the founder of the Glenlossie Distillery, as well as being involved with unsuccessful distilleries in Cape Town and the USA. Longmorn Distillery started production in December 1894. Three years later John Duff built the Benriach Distillery next to Longmorn, but both were affected by the collapse of wholesale buyers Pattison, Elder and Co. in 1898. Duff was ruined by the collapse, and Longmorn Distilleries Company Ltd. passed through a variety of ownerships.

In 1970, Longmorn joined The Glenlivet and Glen Grant to form The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. This was bought by Chivas Brothers in 1978 and in 2001 Chivas Brothers was acquired by the French Pernod Ricard Group.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official Bottling

  • Longmorn 15 Years Old 2005 Distillery Reserve Collection (2021) – Quite heady and spicy with lots of lovely sherry influence, dried fruit, raisins and nuttiness. 87/100
  • Longmorn-16-Year-Old Longmorn 16 Years Old (2014) – Longmorn 16 Years Old (48%, OB, 2014) 48% ABV, £48 Score: 86/100 What they say A part of the Chivas Brothers empire (now owned by Pernod Ricard), Longmorn has long been a favourite of the cognoscenti, but until recently was a very well-kept secret.  Long classed as a blender’s favourite, Longmorn was little-seen as a […]
  • Longmorn 18 Year Old, 1995 - Chivas Bothers Cask Strength Edition Longmorn 18 Years Old 1995 Cask Strength Edition (2014) – Longmorn 18 Years Old 1995 Cask Strength Edition (53.1%, OB, 2013) 53.1% ABV, £49.50 Score: 87/100 What they say: Chivas Brothers Cask Strength Edition, Non chill-filtered, Speyside single malt scotch whisky The Cask Strength Edition range of Highland and Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whiskies from Chivas Brothers have been bottle din limited quantities. Included in […]

Independent Bottling

Berry Bros & Rudd
  • BBR 1992 Longmorn 19YO 46% Longmorn 19 Year Old 1992 Berry’s own selection (2014) – Longmorn 19 Year Old 1992 [cask 71768] (Berry Bros. & Rudd) 46% ABV, £67.45 for 70cl Score: 87/100 What they say: filtered at 46% ABV. Produced near Elgin, this malt whisky is highly respected for its smooth, complex full character and heady bouquet. The primary aromas give yellow fruit skins and honey. There is some […]
Cadenhead
  • Longmorn_Glenlivet_Cadenhead_s_Authentic_Collection_18 Longmorn 18 Years Old 1994 Authentic Collection (2014) – Longmorn-Glenlivet 18 Years Old 1994 – Authentic Collection (56.1%, Cadenheads, Bourbon HH, 264 Bottles, 2013) 56.1% ABV Score: 85/100 What they say: Bottled: July 2013; 264 bottles; Strength 56.1% ABV Longmorn-Glenlivet Cadenhead’s Authentic Collection 18 Years Country: Scotland Region: Highlands / Speyside Whisk(e)y-type: Scotch Single Malt Distillery: Longmorn-Glenlivet Bottler: Cadenhead Age: 18 Years Distilled: 1994 Bottled: […]
Carn Mor
  • longmorn-11-year-old-2009-strictly-limited-carn-mor-whisky Longmorn 11 Years Old 2009 Strictly Limited (2020) – A very drinkable expression full of vanilla and fruits and reasonably wood light, more tropical on the nose than the palate. 84/100
  • Longmorn 1996 The Carn Mor Vintage Collection Longmorn 13 Years Old 1996 Vintage Collection (Carn Mor) (2014) – Longmorn 13 Years Old 1996 Vintage Collection (46%, Carn Mor, Bourbon HH #156794, 1377 bottles) 46% ABV, £14 for 20cl Score: 77/100 What they say: Distilled in 1996 at the Speyside distillery of Longmorn and matured in a bourbon hogshead Cask number 156794 for 13 years before bottling in 2009. This bottle was from a limited edition […]
  • longmorn-23-year-old-1991-cask-54953-celebration-of-the-cask-carn-mor-whisky Longmorn 23 Years Old 1991 Celebration of the Cask (2019) – Longmorn 23 Years Old 1991 Celebration of the Cask whisky review: an unusal old Longmorn, very fruity but also herbal and resinous wood influences from the cask, a real delight. 87/100
Claxton’s
  • longmorn-10-year-old-2008-claxtons-whisky Longmorn 10 Years Old 2008 The Single Cask (2019) – Longmorn 10 Years Old 2008 Claxton’s whisky review: Young, spirity and possibly refill bourbon? Viewed as a work in progress this shows great potential, some lovely characteristics in here and didn’t need reduced to enjoy. 78/100
Gordon & MacPhail
  • Longmorn1967SC Longmorn 1967 Speyside Collection (2017) – Longmorn 1967 Speyside Collection (43%, Gordon & MacPhail, Sherry Butt #4645, 2015) Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky Origin: Longmorn distillery Bottling: Gordon & MacPhail, Speyside Collection ABV: 43% What they say: Speyside Collection Leading whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail has launched an exclusive Speyside Collection, offering customers the chance to purchase six exquisite single malt […]
  • Longmorn 57 Years Old 1961 Cask 508 (2018) – Longmorn 57 Years Old 1961 Cask #508 whisky review: Great nose, and a wonderful experience to try such an old Longmorn, but, the contrast between the nose and palate is too great. Far too over-oaked for my palate, too spicy, bitter and harsh. Masses of or practically liquid/distilled European Oak wood didn’t make for a pleasurable drinking experience. Water made it more spicy and tannic, something this whisky didn’t lack. A lesson in wood. 63/100
  • Longmorn 57 Years Old 1961 Cask 512 (2018) – Longmorn 57 Years Old 1961 Cask #512 whisky review: More closed on the nose, this one rewarded a little more fruit on the palate but again another Cask-heavy wood-centric expression that sadly could have come from any number of distilleries. Once again no hint of Longmorn here. Despite the big numbers on these casks I found both more than a little disappointing. Perhaps I had set my expectations far too high, yet I have had other G&M old or even very old whiskies that have been simply sublime. Of the two casks this one was definitely more palateable. 79/100
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
  • SMWS 7.107 The good old days (2015) – Longmorn 10 Years Old 2003 7.107 The good old days (60.6%, SMWS, 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, 211 Bottles, 2014) Single malt scotch whisky 60.6% ABV, £48.40 Score: 83/100 What they say: Colour: Shiny trumpet Flavour: Spicy & sweet All of us stepped back in time into a good old fashioned hardware store with well looked […]
  • SMWS7.130_1 SMWS 7.130 Musky, floral, sweet perfumes (2019) – SMWS 7.130 Musky, floral, sweet perfumes whisky review: A delicious aged Longmorn full of fragrant and fruity notes and a good helping of complimentary woody spices. Again a very true to form whisky expression redolent of Longmorn distillery character and aged to perfection in a refill hoggie for just the right balance of spirit and cask influences, approaching perfection. 88/100
Signatory
  • Longmorn 1996, 17 Years Old, Cask No 105095, Signatory Vintage Longmorn 17 Years Old 1996 Vintage Collection (Signatory) (2014) – Longmorn 17 Years Old 1996 (43%, Signatory, Sherry Butt #105095, 832 bottles, 2013) 43% ABV, £38 for 70cl Score: 83/100 What they say: Distilled at the Speyside Longmorn distillery on 25/06/1996 and matured in 1st Fill Sherry Butt, cask no 105095. Bottled on 05/11/2013, bottle no. 347 of 832 by Signatory Vintgae Scotch Whisky Co. […]
That Boutique-Y Whisky Company
  • longmorn-that-boutiquey-whisky-company-whisky Longmorn 10 Years Old Batch 3 (2019) – Longmorn 10 Years Old Batch 3 Whisky Review: A little bit spice and a lovely hint of florality on the nose, on the palate this has much more spirit character than cask for me and again I’m drawn to the conclusion that this is a lovely spirit-driven expression thanks to refill cask maturation. Very little oak in here but lots of drinkable Longmorn spirit. 84/100

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